Sacha Blackburne Photography: workshops

Showing posts with label workshops. Show all posts

Sunday, 20 February 2011

Workshop - Mia & Ryan of Mohawk Radio

I held a portrait photography workshop in January where I shared what I have learned about photography and am slowly blogging about the different aspects of the day. Last week, I shared some images from behind the scenes and this week's images are from the final practical shooting session of the day. The models were from Mohawk Radio and I processed a few faves for the band to use for press shots. Mia Chambray is the lead singer and her feathery rich vocals add to the band's original alluring sound. Definitely check them out and watch this space - I see big things for these young artists.

These images were actually shot in late afternoon sun but I played around with them to make it look like twilight to add to the mood and also give the chandelier more of a raison d'être!

Mia's eyes are mesmerising - like a cat's.

Mia's husband and band member, Ryan Prevost, was not expecting to be photographed, but during costume changes, I felt we had to have the attendees shooting something and so he stepped up to the challenge in style.

Couldn't decide if I liked the black and whites, or colour manipulations better so leave it up to you to decide.

Ryan plays guitar and also does some vocals for the band.

Doesn't he just look like a rock star - like he is already famous?

Mia returned from her costume change for a complete different feel. She is a fun, spirited performer and wanted that to come out in some of the images so I had her play around on an old Radio Flyer tricycle that I actually bought long after my kids needed such a little trike, just to use in shoots so thrilled in came in handy. She looks pretty amazing sporting the top hat too and I just love her addition of the feathers to give it that Native American feel that the band is honing. Ryan is part Native American and the band closely relate to the values of the ancient tribes and tie it in where they can to their music and their image.

Thursday, 17 February 2011

Workshop - Behind the scenes

A few weeks ago, I held my first portrait photography workshop of the year. It was a great group, and a great day weather wise, which was a blessing as it was the only day that was sunny in a long spell of howling winds and driving rains. We started off the day with part one of the theory - this time I broke it into 2 parts so I did an hour or so presentation before we went out for our first practice shoot. I was quite flattered to have two other photographers in the group who really added to the experience for those who were newer to the art. It was the first time I held a workshop at my new house and it was a great success. We stayed on the property the entire time which saved on travel time which was wonderful as it meant more time shooting.

There were lots of goodies to nibble on and a selection of teas during the classroom part of the day.

Monday, 17 January 2011

The Big Enchilada - Workshop Sneak Peeks

Yesterday was my fifth workshop I have held in one year. I can't believe what a hit they have been, both in terms of teaching people how to properly learn how to use the manual settings of their cameras, but also the fabulous shoots. It is such a great opportunity for me to get really creative on the theme of the shoots and hopefully this will encourage my clients that they do not have to always wear traditional clothing or shoot in typical locations. Although we did all three hour long practice shoots in my house and garden, the images are varied and fun, mainly due to the time I took with the models before hand to talk about what sort of imagery we would like to make. I tried to ask them about what they liked and who they were and these images are the result. There are just 2 shots from each session here as there was not much time at the end of the day yesterday in the post processing side of things as the light just got better and better so we all opted to shoot a little longer and edit a little less. But here are some sneak peeks and I will blog in great detail soon, but still have a massive backlog of regular clients I am working on too. Please be patient and enjoy these snippets for now. We did so many variations in each shoot that it was so hard to choose only a couple from each to work on and I really can't wait to share to share the rest so watch this space.

Tuesday, 7 December 2010

2011 workshops

I will be hosting another few portrait photography workshops next year. The full day workshop will be full of insights and things I have learned over the years. It is solely for SLR lovers who want to take the knowledge of their craft and their gear to the next level. Full day session is complete with 2 1/2 hours of theory, followed by very fun and creative indoor and outdoor shooting sessions, helping put all that was discussed into practice. Techniques on how to use your camera on manual (ah the freedom!), depth of field (wow how crispy those photos look!), the best lenses for portrait shooting, and digital darkroom hints will all be covered, plus the usual composition and lighting tips, and lots of time for questions.

The indoor shoot will teach you how to shoot without flash in low light conditions as well as the most flattering light for portrait photography. I will discuss the difference between prime and zoom lenses as well as how to find that perfect focal point when shooting with a shallow depth of field. We will be looking at composition, posing, how to make subjects feel comfortable and look natural in front of the camera, as well as props and accessories.